Toy figures having action features have been well known in the art for many years. Not surprisingly, toy figures have enjoyed great popularity among consumers and as a result have been provided by practitioners in the art in a virtually endless variety. Thus toy figures have been provided which move one limb in response to movement of another limb, move body portions in response to limb movement, or undergo predetermined action moves in response to a movement of one or more limbs. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,601,672 issued to Cook et al. sets forth a ACTION FIGURE IN WHICH MANIPULATION OF ONE ARM PRODUCES ROTATION OF BOTH LEGS ABOUT A VERTICAL AXES having a torso coupled to a rotatable leg support and including an internal drive mechanism which converts pivotal movement of a arm to rotational movement of the leg support.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,571,206 issued to Mayer et al. sets forth a ACTION FIGURE WITH WING MOVEMENT DERIVED FROM LEG MOVEMENT having a torso supporting a pair of legs in pivotal attachment together with a pair of pivotally supported wings. The legs are capable of being squeezed together or released to extend outwardly from each other. A drive mechanism within the toy figures torso is operatively coupled to the wings such that squeezing the legs together and releasing them repeatedly causes the wings to flap.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,031,657 issued to Crosman et al. sets forth a ACTION FIGURE having a platform coupled to selected appendages of a toy figure and having a remote movement mechanism operable by the user to manipulate the toy figures action.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,125,961 issued to Yamashina sets forth a DOLL WITH MOVEABLE ARMS, LEGS AND HEAD having a hollow trunk rotatably supporting a head, arms and legs in a rotatable attachment. The limbs are interconnected by a leaf spring.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,578,045 issued to Mayer et al. sets forth an ACTION FIGURE WITH LEG MOVEMENT DERIVED FROM ARM MOVEMENT having a toy figure including a torso supporting a pair of pivotally mounted legs and a pair of pivotally coupled arms. A drive mechanism supports rotational motion of the arms to scissors-like movement of the legs mimicking walking.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,579,542 issued to Mayer et al. sets forth an ACTION FIGURE WITH ARM MOVEMENT DERIVED FROM LEG MOVEMENT having a torso supporting a fixed leg and a pivotally moveable leg together with a pair of arms pivotally supported to the torso.
An elongated coupling rod within the torso converts pivotal movement of the movable leg to rotational movement of a common axle supporting the arms.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,596,532 issued to Cook et al. sets forth an ACTION FIGURE IN WHICH MANIPULATION OF ONE LEG PRODUCES A HORIZONTAL SWINGING OF BOTH ARMS having a toy figure including a torso which pivotally supports a pair of arms. One leg of the figure is fixed in its position upon the torso while the other is pivotable. The pivotable leg is coupled by an elongated arm to a movement mechanism operable upon the toy figures arms such as squeezing the legs together results in swinging of the arms.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,605,382 issued to Cook et al. sets forth a FIGURE WHEREIN LEG MOVEMENT PRODUCES WING-LIKE MOVEMENT OF THE ARMS having an action toy figure including a torso supporting a pair of pivotally joined arms. One leg of the figure is secured to the torso immovably and the other leg is supported in a pivotal attachment. A gear drive mechanism is operable to cause the arms to move simultaneously as a gear rack driven by the pivotable leg is moved.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,608,026 issued to Newton et al. sets forth a FIGURE WHEREIN MANIPULATION OF ONE LIMB CAUSES MOTION OF ANOTHER having a toy figure including a torso supporting a pivotally attached arm. A second arm is fixedly attached. A fixed leg and a pivotally attached leg are also supported on the torso. In operative mechanism within the torso converts pivotal motion of the leg to pivotal motion of the arm.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,087,219 issued to Price sets forth an ACTION CHARACTER FIGURE having a telescoping body which allows the figure to contract and expand in the vertical direction.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,458,523 issued to Aoki et al. sets forth an ACTION CHARACTER FIGURE ASSEMBLY having an elongated housing defining a pedestal supporting an articulated toy figure and a handle manipulatable by the user. An operative mechanism between the handle and the toy figure allows the user to manipulate the toy figure somewhat remotely.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,575,349 issued to Piazza et al. and entitled WINGED CREATURE and U.S. Pat. No. 4,610,639 issued to Piazza and entitled SIMULATED FLYING CREATURE WITH FLAPABLE WINGS sets forth examples of toy figures having articulated wings.
While the foregoing described prior art devices have improved the art and in some instances enjoyed commercial success there remains nonetheless a continuing need in the art for ever more interesting, exciting, amusing and entertaining action toy figures.